They don't make life vests with neck collars in larger kid sizes that you can buy at Wal-Mart. We have to head into the realm of special adaptive equipment now.
I looked all over the internet googling terms like crazy. I did find a company in Canada that makes an awesome life vest for disabled kids and adults that mimics the infant vests. I was hoping to get that one for Liam until I got the price quote. Almost $300. =(
Most of the neck collars were in the $100 range and I really wanted more support for him. But then a mom mentioned this Kiefer one and it only cost $30! That's unheard of in special kid stuff. Nothing is ever cheap for our guys and with that price I couldn't go wrong.
This one works great too! You can't go far away from Liam because this isn't a life saving device. Liam will get so excited in the water that he starts splashing water all over himself and floods his chin area. Or he will get so excited that his tiny chin pops through the hole for his neck. So, you need to be close by and keep your eyes on him.
But it is a wonderfully cheap way for Liam to get in the water, get silly, and feel just like a 'typical' kid!